1. Field of the Invention
The present invention related to improvements in an airbag restraint system for protecting a vehicle passenger in a vehicle collision or the like, and more particularly to an airbag which is provided therein with suspension belts and belt catch members to prevent the airbag from inflating generally in one direction upon being supplied with gas from a gas generator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto a variety of airbag restraint systems for automotive vehicles have been proposed and put into practical use in order to protect a vehicle passenger in the event of a vehicle collision or the like. Such airbag restraint systems are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-43890 and Japanese Utility Model Provisional Publication No. 61-185642.
The airbag restraint systems are generally arranged as set forth below. The airbag restraint system includes an airbag 3 which is momentarily inflated upon being filled with gas from a gas generator 2. The airbag 3 is constituted of front and rear side sheet members 3a and 3b which are formed of cloth material. The front and rear side sheet member 3a and 3b are sewed at their peripheral portions with each other thereby to be formed into the bag-shape. The rear side sheet member 3b is formed at its central part with a gas inlet 4 through which the gas from the gas generator 2 is supplied into the airbag 3.
Additionally, the airbag 3 is provided therein with a plurality of suspension belts 6 for the purpose of preventing the airbag 3 from inflating to project generally in one direction or toward the vehicle passenger during inflation of the airbag 3 upon being supplied with gas. Each suspension belt 6 is sewed at its one end section to the inner surface of the front side sheet member 3a. The other end portions of the belt catch members 8 are sewed to the rear side sheet member 3b at a location near the gas inlet.
A pair of the suspension belts 6 have four connecting ends 6a at which the suspension belt 6 is secured to the belt catch members 8. When the four suspension belts 6 are applied to the airbag restraint system, the rear side ends of the four suspension belts 6 are sewed respectively at the four corners of the belt catch member formed in a rectangle shape.
However, difficulties have been encountered in such a conventional airbag restraint system, as discussed hereinafter with reference to FIG. 5 of the drawings of the present invention. The conventional airbag restrains system usually has a pair of belt catch members 8 between which the end portion of each suspension member is put and sewed. However, it is difficult to distinguish whether the end section 6a of the suspension belt 6 is properly disposed under the lower belt catch member 8 or not. This includes a problem that the suspension belt 6 may be improperly sewed to the belt catch members 8 and torn off from the belt catch members 8.